Book 1: Shrink!
by ANYTHINGGOES31
Summary: What would happen if I was Clara in the nutcracker? I'll still use the name Clara. This is based on Barbie's the nutcracker but I'll defiantly add some of my own wacky characters and scenes (I'd say this is one of my best, hope you thinks so too.). A bit of blood. Mostly mine. I'm just that stupidly lucky. Book one: Shrink!
1. Chapter 1

Nutcracker

I was at home one Christmas many years ago. We had all the relatives over. My uncles and aunts and cousins.

My Aunt Janis uncle Norman and their daughters Kelly and Kimberly (who had recently come back from an adventure in strange new places Kelly even danced with a king). They always gave the best presents.

My little brother Kenneth or sometimes Yo-yo by his friends (he really hates it when he's called that) but Kenny as he was usually known as liked those cousins the best. They were the funest to be around.

When I opened my present from them and saw the piece of wood that was inside it I nearly keeled over. It was a nutcracker. It was so below their usual standards.

When I pulled the gift out of the box my brother immediately grabbed for it. "Hey!" I yelped.

As he twisted away from me he looked at the nutcracker and laughed. "What's this thing?"

I grew angry. He didn't just insult my gift but he insulted the cousins. "A nutcracker Kenny. Now give it back!" I made a grab for it.

He yanked away again. "Ha ha Clara you can't catch me."

I growled "mom, dad make him give it back!"

"Kenny!" snapped my father. "Give your sister back her toy."

The family laughed. We always made them laugh.

My brother pouted and reluctantly gave me back the nutcracker.

I grabbed it away.

"Now Clara." Scolded my father.

"What!" I said.

With a laugh Kelly the oldest cousin said "oh it's okay."

I finally got my first good look at the toy. I had seen nutcrackers before they all seemed to have the same soldier's uniform and ugly hair. But this one was made of all wood. White hair and beard but a black mustache and looked handsome it a way. But then again I was a sap for facial hair.

My cousin Kimberly sat beside me and looked at the toy. "You know the story of the nutcracker don't you?" she asked.

I read a lot and like to watch T.V. I had a very good imagination and usually asked for books or movies. I nodded.

And so did she. At the time I didn't know what she meant. And I had no idea what was to come. I set the nutcracker down on a stand.

A yell came from the kitchen. "Its time to eat!" called my grandmother. We all rushed up except my little brother. I quickly gathered my food and ran back to the living room where I found my brother picking up pieces of wood. "What did you do?" I shrieked.

He jumped and dropped the wood. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to!" he cried.

I then saw that the wood shards belonged to the nutcracker the pieces were painted red and blue. I let my food on the floor and took the pieces. The arm and a foot had been torn off. "You broke it!" I screamed. My family came rushing in.

"What happened!" asked my mother.

I glared at Kenny, who was cowering "he broke my nutcracker!"

"I didn't mean to, honest." He tried.

"Dad can you fix it?" I asked my father he was really good at fixing things.

"Well let me see." I handed the pieces to him.

His huge tan hairy hands worked around the small pieces and somehow managed to put the nutcracker back together. "Thank you!" I said when he handed it back to me.


	2. Battle

Battle

Eventually I went upstairs to the toy room I had taken the nutcracker up and set it down on the computer desk and fell asleep on the maroon photon. The upstairs was littered with games, books, movies, blankets, and chairs but other things as well. There was a tree in the far corner by a coopie hole where we stored the holiday decorations.

At the stroke of midnight I was fast asleep but everything seemed to change. The rats came. My nutcracker started to move and become alive. He saw the rats and pulled the sword that was at his belt out and began to fight.

The sound of the clanking woke me up. And what I saw was my nutcracker fighting huge rats. My immediate thought was that I was dreaming. It would not have been the first time something like this had happened so I went with it. I stood up and saw that the nutcracker was seriously out numbered. I put on my slippers and kicked a few of the rodents. "Hey!" I yelled to get the biggest one's attention.

It worked but when the biggest one turned I realized it had more than one head (six to be exact) and when it stood up straight it was as tall as my knee. "Oh no," I muttered.

"Well, why don't you introduce me to your friend, nutcracker?" It said all in unison which made it even creepier. The heads spat the word nutcracker. They obviously had a history. And I would ask about that later. But for the moment my focus was on the knee high rat. I took a step back.

"Look out!" called the nutcracker.

No kidding! I wanted to yell. But I didn't take my eyes off the rat. Its weapon was a gold and ruby scepter. He pointed it at me. Not good. I thought.

"My enemy that towers over Me," He began to say and the scepter began to glow with an evil light. "Make her smaller than a key. Shrink her smaller than that. Shrink her to the size of a rat!"

A beam of red light shot out from the scepter.

With a gasp I stepped back and slipped on a toy. The beam shot over my head and hit a chair and shrunk it. I began to sit up.

My father would always nag me about putting things away. And he would never believe that my negligent to put away the toys just saved me from being shrunken to the size of a rat.

But the victory was short lived because another beam of red light hit me square in the chest and knocked my flat on my back.

I felt myself shrink. Luckily my cloths shrunk with me. When I had fallen asleep it was by accident so instead of a night gown I was still wearing my red shirt and white dress pants.

I sat up. I was the same size as the six headed rat and the nutcracker.

The rat started to come at me. I had nowhere to run. The rest of the rats were coming up behind me. Bad. I thought.

The nutcracker suddenly appeared on the multi-headed rat and distracted it. As the two tumbled away I saw a nail picker. To a full grown person it could be used as a really small dagger. Now in this size it was a perfect sword. I lunged and grabbed it, then turning it towards the rat army.

I was a bit taller than all of them but I guess they were more scared of the biggest rat to be afraid of me. One came at me. I made a wild swing and knocked it aside. But I assumed it was just lucky and he wasn't expecting it but now the rest would.

I had never used a sword before though in dreams I was always the best. But I wasn't about to let cockiness take the fight I would have to concentrate and use something other than a sword to win this fight.

Another came at me. I ducked the first blow but another one came up from behind me and swung. At the same time the other one did and I ducked again. They hit each other's weapons and seemed temporarily confused. I took my chance. I made a wide circle sweep and took out their legs. They fell back dazed.

I was feeling very confident at that moment when I realized: where was nutcracker? I saw that the nutcracker was defending himself not just against the six headed rat but three smaller rat soldiers as well. I readied my makeshift sword and did the dumbest thing ever. I charged the multi headed rat.

I hit at least two heads and dazed them before things took a turn for the worst (and that was saying a lot). While two heads lay slack four others were still active and more importantly, angry. The ruby scepter hit me in the side and I went flying back. I had distracted the big oaf at least. I landed on a pillow but the wind was knocked out of me and my chest hurt badly.

A menacing laugh came from one of the heads as it advanced. Then I saw the sixth head, a bigger mightier head than the rest, had a crown on its forehead. "You know the story of the nutcracker don't you?" what my cousin said echoed in my head. This was the Rat King! And this head's eyes were red unlike the other heads, which were beady black ones.

"No!" I heard the nutcracker yell.

The Rat King thrust the golden scepter down. I rolled away and to my feet. I saw the tinsel and began to climb but not without difficulty. I might have broken a few ribs.

"I didn't seem to shrink you small enough!" cursed one of the heads. A beam of red light whizzed past me cutting a few strands of hair.

I heard a grunt. That was when I looked down. The nutcracker had tackled the Rat King.

A growl came from the red eyed head. He swung at nutcracker.

Nutcracker deflected it and stabbed at the middle head. He skewered one head and grazed another.

The two bloodied heads went limp but the middle head was unharmed. It looked as though the two heads had gotten in the way on purpose. But as quickly as they had died the two heads' wounds healed.

No! I thought. "Hey!" I yelled and readied to through the makeshift sword at the middle head.

The Nutcracker stabbed at the middle head again but was deflected. I took my chance. I hurled the sword at the rat and hopped that I was accurate.

The point of the blade made it to the middle head's right eye. The head squeaked in pain. The Rat King squeaked and flailed like the vermin he was. But one of the heads swung at the Nutcracker thinking it was him and hit him.

The brave piece of wood was flung to one side, closer to the fire pit.

The wounded rat clutched his right eye as it bleed eye jelly "You will pay for being a thorn in my side!" promised the Rat King. Apparently the middle head couldn't heal itself like the others could. It half scurried and was half dragged out of the room by his soldiers.

I dropped from the tinsel and ran to Nutcracker, who lay smoldering by the fire. The heat of the fire burned my face. I could only imagine what it was doing to the wood. "Nutcracker!" I reached down to help him away from the burning fire. I yelped. He was smoking and felt like hot metal. I looked at the burning wood of the Nutcracker. My Christmas present. I scowled at the Nutcracker and grabbed him. My hands burned but I pulled him away from the fire and my ribs still hurt from before so it was even more difficult to get the chunk of wood away from his death.

After I got him a safe distance way I looked at my hands that burned. They had soot on them and were red and swollen. They hurt so bad I cried which made my chest hurt even more than it had already.

But I still had to help the nutcracker still burning and unconscious. I looked around the dim room. It was so much bigger now that I was a foot–and-a-half tall. I scanned the floor I often would leave half drunken water bottles lying around the room. I finally saw one.

Again my father would never believe that again the negligence to not take the dishes down had saved a life.

It was strange picking something up that was so common and having it be just three inches shorter than you. It had ¼ of the water left. I hopped it would be enough. It wasn't as heavy as it would have been if it were full but only being slightly taller than it was strange and made it harder to lift.

I managed to open it and pour it over nutcracker's smoldering body. The wood stopped smoking and with a sputter Nutcracker's blue eyes opened. He sat up coughing.

"Are you okay!" I asked as I helped him up.

He stood and clutched his head. "Aw," He groaned. "What happened?" he looked around. "Where? Where's the—"

"Rat king?" I said cutting him off. "Gone. He scurried away like the rat he is," I said it with a bit of acid.

"And you… saved my life!" he sounded surprised.

I scowled at him "yeah don't sound too impressed I did almost get you killed to."

He raised a wooden eye brow. Then he looked down at himself and saw that he was charred. Then he caught sight of my hands still red and swollen. "But you didn't let me burn."

I shrugged and grimaced I had temporarily forgotten that my ribs might have been damaged. "Ow!"

His blue wooden eyes weren't as lifeless as they had been. "Are you okay!" he asked.

"I might have broken a few ribs," I said.

"Let me have a look."

I became panicked. Was he asking to look at my chest? "Uh no. I don't feel comfortable with that," I tried.

"I'm not going to hurt you," He said gently.

I gulped. I don't know why but I trusted him.

"Lie down."

I still felt panicked about this but I did as I was told.

He knelt and began to feel my ribs. I closed my eyes his touch was warm like from the fire but it felt human. When his hand left my rib cage I opened my eyes.

He stood and extended his hand. I took it and stood next to him ready to hear the diagnosis.

"Two are fractured but that's about it. Maybe you should stay here," He said and headed towards where the rats had descended into.

"Whoa wait," I said a bit strained. "I just fractured two ribs and burnt myself for you. And you're not going any were without me."

He turned to look at me. "But I didn't ask you to do that for Me," He sheathed his sword.

I picked up the nail picker and stuck it in a belt loop mimicking his action. "Well then turn me back to my normal height."

"I can't" he said miserably. "Only the Sugar Plum Princess can break the Rat King's spells. I've been searching for years now trying to find her."

"Well then I guess either way I'm coming."

He let out a deep sigh. "Fine," He said a bit irritated. "But how will you get back?"

Suddenly I heard a hoot. The nutcracker unsheathed his sword and turn towards the sound. I did the same.

An owl flew down from the top of the bookshelf. I could have sworn that wasn't there before. It flew down so close I fell back trying to avoid getting hit by a wing. I'm sure I made myself look foolish.

The owl flew to the tree. Hovered and seemed to pluck something off one of the ornaments.

As the owl flew back it dropped something into my hand. It was a locket. I looked at it then back to the owl that was now back at the top of the bookshelf. "Once you find the sugar plum princess open the locket and you will be transported home your full size," Said the owl.

If nothing else had happened I would have been freaking out, and it would have made nonsense, but I had just fought a six headed Rat, gotten shrunk, fractured some ribs, and saved a nutcracker from death. I was beyond freaking out. "Alright sure," I said to the owl. "But how do we find the Sugar Plum Princess. The nutcracker has been searching for years."

The owl seemed to smile. "The Sugar Plum Princess can be found across the Sea of Storms."

I had no idea what that was but it didn't sound good and by nutcracker's expression I could tell I was right.

This all seemed vaguely familiar.

"But the Sea of Storms is impossible to cross," He said to the owl as if it was totally normal.

That brought a saying my mother would always tell me. "Nothing is impossible just improbable"

That's exactly what the owl said and it sounded exactly like my mom. "Now get going the way will be dangerous."

"Yeah but you have me to protect you," I joked.

The nutcracker rolled his eyes. "Come on then," And he started towards where the Rat had gone.

I felt like I had something stuck in my throat and butterflies in my stomach. I was about to follow a piece of wood into a rat hole to fine a princess that can break a miniaturizing spell. Yeah completely normal and totally possible. I though with bitter sarcasm. I reluctantly followed the nutcracker.


	3. Ice Cave

Ice Cave

We had only taken a few steps into darkness when I fell. It seemed like there was a hole and suddenly I was surrounded by blue sparkling light. I saw that the nutcracker had fallen too.

We fell then were pulled up then down again until finally we were spit out and dropped onto a fluff of snow. It took a second for my vision to clear. I saw the blue and red wooden man was lodged in the snow. I stood and dusted the snow off my clothes. "Are you alright?" I asked.

He nodded and looked around. "Now where did my sword go?" he asked more to himself.

I made sure I had mine. Then I looked around. It was light and I could see a slight golden glint. "Oh, I think I found it."

I picked up what I believed was the hilt of his sword. When I did I realized I had gotten more than I bargained for. There was his left arm his hand still clutching the hilt. It was the one Kenny had ripped off. "Uh?" I said.

If nutcrackers could blush he would.

"You know there's a really bad pun to this," I said laughing a bit.

A small chuckle escaped his wooden lips. "Yeah," He stood and took his arm and sword. He connected his arm back to his shoulder like he was popping it back into its socket. He grimaced. He looked at me with a half grateful face. "Um thanks."

I shrugged. "Whatever," I tried to pretend I hadn't just picked up a dissembled arm. I looked around. "So how do we get out of here?" I asked.

He seemed to just notice the problem. "I'm not sure. We must have taken a wrong turn," He stepped towards one of the icy walls. He hit his sword against it. It just bounced hard off the ice barely leaving a dent. He growled in frustration. "These walls must be ten feet thick."

"Of course!" I said throwing my arms up.

"Hey! I said that you should have stayed at your house," Snapped Nutcracker.

We hadn't even started looking for the princess and we already hit a dead end and with no way of getting out. I sat down and covered my face. Why did I even get involved? I wasn't a crier and I wasn't crying I was tired and my body was trying to heal itself which made the grogginess deepen.

The nutcracker felt bad about snapping at me. He sat down beside me and asked. "Is everything alright?"

I lifted my head to look at him. "I'm just really tired," I said. Then looked at my hands. The cold had brought the swelling down and they weren't red anymore. I sighed. "So you said you've been searching for the Sugar Plum Princess for years. And she can break the Rat King's spell. Does that mean you weren't always…?"

"A nutcracker," He finished. "I wasn't always this hunk of wood," He said miserably but he didn't say anything more.

This led me to think he was hiding his true identity. I thought about the nutcracker story. The nutcracker was a prince I remembered. "Ah," I said understanding a lot more. I figured he would tell me eventually. "So where are we going exactly. I know that we're going to the Sea of Storms but where is that?"

"The kingdom of Barthania," He said lost in thought.

I nodded. "So the Rat King…"

"Is not the rightful king to Barthania? Yeah."

"So who is?" Acting like I didn't already know.

"The prince," He said as if that summed it up.

"Prince what?" I pushed. "Did the prince have a name?"

He looked at me like he wanted me to stop asking questions. "Eric," He said bitterly. "Prince Eric."

Now this seemed very familiar. I was about to ask another question when I heard whispering. I suddenly saw a small blue light flying around. "What is that?" I asked.

The nutcracker laughed. "A snow fairy."

"Yeah, sure, a snow fairy. Makes sense," I said watching the fairy.

It flew close to my face. With a small explosion of blue sparkles the small light turned into a small blond girl with white/blue clothes and wings. It smiled at me and giggled.

"Uh do you know what its saying?" I asked the nutcracker. He didn't answer me. I looked at him and he looked like he was blushing.

He noticed me looking at him and he said "oh, yeah."

The fairy grabbed my pointer finger and pulled. It didn't have much strength and lost its grip. It tumbled into nutcracker's chest. It hit the hard wood with a thud and fell into the nutcracker's waiting hand. It stood up dazed and held its head. Shaking the daze it looked back at its wing which was bent. It glared up at nutcracker and began to speak, its voice sounding like a ringing bell.

"Well I'm sorry," He said to the fairy. "But you should have been more careful."

The fairy huffed and kept scowling. It was so cute!

With a smile I said. "Here let's see if we can't fix it," I held out my hand and the fairy dropped to my hand. I gently used my pointer and thumb to straighten the wing.

The fairy smiled and laughed. She flapped her wings and did a flip and flew away.

"Huh not even a thank you," Said the nutcracker.

I shrugged. I looked back to the walls of ice. "So we took a wrong turn?"

The nutcracker nodded.

"Alright then let's go back and take the right turn."

"It's not that easy."

I rolled my eyes. Of course it could never be easy. Suddenly I heard whispering again but more this time. I looked around and saw hundreds of blue lights.

"Whoa," I said under my breath.

The snow fairies danced around in beautiful patterns. It was amazing to watch. The fairy that I helped. Flew to me again. She giggled and said something. All the other fairies seemed to say the same thing.

I turned to the nutcracker. "What are they saying?"

He looked like he was blushing again. "They say that you're beautiful."

I rolled my eye and smiled. I turned to the fairy I helped. "Thank you," I told it.

It giggled and flew away and tried to dance with the others. After several frustrating attempts it flew back to me and pulled at me again. I realized it wanted me to dance. "Oh! N-no I can't," I said panicked. I couldn't dance to save my life.

I heard a stifled laugh come from nutcracker. This made me a bit angry.

The fairy had given up trying to pull me into a dance. She tried to reassure me. She did a shuffle step and gestured for me to do it. I remained still. Suddenly I felt a hand in mine. I turned to see nutcracker. The fairies had pushed him to me.

He was smiling nervously. "May I have this dance?" he whispered.

I couldn't just bluntly refuse him. It would be rude and he was royalty even if he didn't know I knew it. "I can't dance," I tried.

He suddenly led me into a step.

I gasped in surprise and stared at him.

His smile was a little more confident now. "Just let me lead," Then he led me into a dip.

Another gasp but it was a little less surprised.

Another step then another. I suddenly realized I was dancing. I spun then dipped then stepped. It was an amazing feeling.

I caught a glimpse at the fairy. She was laughing as if she was hopping this would happen.

We stopped dancing as the music faded.

The snow fairies did one last twirl and opened a doorway to the outside.

"That was amazing," I said breathlessly.

The nutcracker smiled and looked out at the new found sun. "I think that was their thank you."

We walked out into the sunlight. My first look at Barthania was breath taking. The tree smelled like peppermint. The snow wasn't cold. The sky was the bluest I've ever seen.

"Beautiful isn't it?" said the nutcracker from behind me.

I turned and nodded.

He looked so sad. "Soon it will just be a memory if the Rat King has his way."

An awful thought.

"Well then let's go," I said and began walking down a dirt path through a small wood.


	4. Gingerbread Village

Gingerbread Village.

We walked for a long time. Eventually we came to what seemed to be the ruin of a town but the building seemed to be made out of ginger bread and peppermint. Again very familiar.

"What happened here?" I asked under my breath.

"The Rat King's army no doubt." Nutcracker said scowling.

I looked down and saw a rag doll in the snow. I gingerly picked the frozen doll. "Do you see anyone here?"

The nutcracker shook his head sadly. Suddenly a snowball whizzed past my head and hit nutcracker in the back of his. Panic no doubt took his mind for a wild ride, and took me along with it. "Ambush!" he cried and instinctively grabbed me and pulled me behind a snow drift.

With a yelp I landed on my knees. "Dude!" I gasped angrily.

He placed a wooden hand over his wooden mouth. Gesturing me to be quiet.

I rolled my eyes and said a bit louder. "It's not an ambush! Just a snowball."

He looked at me pleadingly. He peered over the snowy edge but quickly ducked down as another snowball whizzed over his head. "We're out numbered," He groaned.

I rolled my eyes again. "Will you— no, you know what. I'll show you," I grabbed his hat and put it on my nail file/picker he began to protest but when I lifted it up it was quickly shoot down in a puff of snow. I gave him a smug look.

He just glared and snatched his hat back.

I realized I still had the frozen rag doll in my hand. "I have an idea," I gave one last fateful look at the pitiful doll remembering my own at home. "Wait!" I shouted. I held the doll so it could be seen over the snow. "Is… is this your doll?" I stood up.

I saw the two children the same age as my brother one a girl the other a boy. The girl yelled "Peppermint Patty!" she ran towards me as I stepped out from behind the snow bank.

The nutcracker grudgingly followed me.

I smiled as I knelt down and handed the girl her doll. She took it gratefully and cradled it like a baby.

I couldn't help but smile more. "Keep good care of that doll. She's very special."

The girl smiled back and nodded vigorously. She wore what looked like icing.

Her brother I guessed came grudgingly out too. It looks like even here the girls are the only ones who can make peace. I hid a laugh. I stood up straight and looked at nutcracker.

"Who are you two?" asked the boy that looked like a gingerbread man.

I turned back to the boy. "I'm Clara," I said as if introducing myself to an adult. "You are?"

"I'm Froyo," He said angrily.

The little girl leaned into me and said "he hates his name."

"Ah," I nodded.

She stepped toward her brother and turned to face us. "I'm Éclair," She said it like she was saying 'I'm gorgeous.'

I smiled and nodded. "A beautiful name."

The boy named Froyo rolled his eyes. "Who's the big chunk of wood?"

I had almost forgotten about the nutcracker. "This is my—" I caught myself he wasn't mine he was the prince. But he had been my present. What was I supposes to call him?

"I'm Nutcracker," He said trying to sound happy.

The girl Éclair nodded happily. "Sure I'll buy that."

Froyo looked at his sister with a look that resembled disgust but I had no idea if ginger bread could look like disgusted.

"You'll buy anything," He stepped towards us. "How do we know you're not with the Rat and are going to take us to his castle?"

"Froyo stop being so suspicious!" demanded Éclair.

A smile reappeared on my face, "no it's okay. He has every right to be suspicious. But we're not big fans of the Rat King."

"Prove it."

"Froyo if we had those orders we would have carried them out already. I've seen the Rat king most of his army are following him out of fear."

"So?"

Éclair rolled her eyes. "Froyo!"

"What?"

"They probably have spells on them the Rat is known for that," She looked back at me. "But you look fine."

I shrugged. "Ever seen a person the size of a nutcracker?"

"Um," She thought about it. "No I guess not, but he's big."

I shrugged again. "True, but I was bigger. Trust me."

She giggled. "Okay."

Her brother grunted. "So what now? If you're not going to kidnap us, then what."

An excellent question always deserves an excellent answer but I had nothing. The nutcracker saved me. "We should keep moving the Rat King's army will be back."

I nodded. "We'll have to find a place to stay for the night."

He nodded and began to walk towards the woods.

I sighed and followed. I made sure the kids were following us too. I had remembered another tidbit about the nutcracker story. Clara and the nutcracker fall in love or there is love involved and so far affectionate feelings from a scale one to ten I'd rate them a negative three.

I tried to strike up conversation. "So you think we can find shelter in the woods? I mean we do have kids with us now and they are kind of sensitive to the elements."

He glared at me. "Well if it hadn't been for you we wouldn't have to worry about that."

I could have given a snappy come back but I decided to let it go. I shrugged and walked with Éclair and Froyo walked with Nutcracker.

I tried to start conversation with her. "So um Froyo's your brother right?"

She nodded "yeah, I love him and all but sometimes he can be a real pain."

"I hear ya. I got a brother too. Can I tell you something?"

She nodded.

"Well my cousins came over for the holidays and got me a present it was the nutcracker. But he wasn't walking and talking. My brother grabbed him and broke his arm and foot off. But my dad fixed him," I said quickly and then more slowly said "I agree you have to love them even if they're super annoying."

"Mm hmm," She agreed, she seemed to have ignored what I had told her about the nutcracker thank God. "What do you think there talking about up there," She asked pointingly to the two boys who were getting far ahead of us.

I watched. Froyo seemed to ask a question. Nutcracker seemed surprised and annoyed he growled an answer. Froyo laughed and said something else in the mist of laughter. The Nutcracker seemed desperate and angry with what he said he growled something and Froyo kept laughing. Nutcracker seemed to be trying to convince him of something.

I rolled my eyes and looked down at Éclair. "Something stupid," I concluded.

Éclair nodded in agreement. "Probably boy stuff, whatever that is."

"Yeah."

Then Éclair gasped. "Marzipan!"

Everyone stopped and looked at her.

"What?" I asked.

The boy's eyes widened when he looked to where his sister was pointing. "Marzipan!" he called.

Then I saw it. It was a pink horse with carriage on the crest of a hill not far from us. It came galloping towards us.

I gasped, it was beautiful. "You know this horse?" I asked mystified.

Éclair nodded. "Yeah Marzipan was with us when the village was attacked."

"You see." Froyo explained. "We were getting ready to collect berries when the Rat king's army came we panicked and jumped in the carriage and rode away. The burning gingerbread town fading into smoke."

"Oh wow," I said eyes wide with the description. Nutcracker had a similar expression.

Éclair nodded. "When we stopped in a clearing we got out and cried."

"Well Éclair did most of the crying," Said Froyo.

Éclair rolled her eyes. "But then a scouting party found us and scared Marzipan. She bucked and fled giving us a good distraction and were able to hide. When we got back to the town about an hour before you did."

"Everything." Froyo began.

"And everyone," Added Éclair.

"Was gone," They said in unison and made it sound scary.

"Oh my," I breathed.

I began to see tears form in both Froyo and Éclair's eyes. He hugged his sister.

I knelt down and placed a hand on a shoulder. "It's alright if you cry. We're going to help you."

They began to cry. Rushing forward they hugged me, hard. I hugged them back then stood. "Maybe Marzipan can help us too," I said hopefully.

Then we heard a rustle. Everyone became tense. Marzipan became skittish.

I drew my makeshift sword. Something told me that the Rat king's army was near. I tried to calm the pink horse. I stroked her velvet nose. Whispering: "it's okay."

The rustling got louder and louder. The kids got behind the Nutcracker and trembled a bit. Then out scurried a bunny.

The nutcracker sighed.

But Marzipan was still nervous.

"Keep your guard up," I warned. I realized I could hear a faint cladder like cart wheels full of stuff.

I supposed from the snowball experience he had learned to listen to me. He kept his sword drawn. "Get in the carriage," He looked at me. "Can you drive a carriage?"

I nodded (but truthfully I had no idea how to drive a carriage.) and started leading the kids to the carriage. Nutcracker kept his eyes in front of him slowly walking backwards.

Just as we were almost, almost to the carriage all Hell broke loose.

Marzipan flipped out. She reared and stomped and nearly trampled Froyo. I yanked him out of the way but then Marzipan reared again and I fell back. "Run!" I screamed as I struggled to get back up. I rolled to one side and found myself on my feet.

Froyo or maybe Éclair grabbed my hand and pulled me into a run. Marzipan had gone the opposite direction.

As I guessed and the nutcracker too the Rat king's army had ambushed us or tried to at least.

"But what about Marzipan?" asked Éclair.

"She'll be fine," I reassured her as much as I could while breathing in as much as I could.

We'd be over run eventually. But then we heard a voice. Maybe with a slight Indian accent to it. "Up here," It said and a rope ladder appeared from the trees. I still had the nail picker in hand. "Go," I ordered breathlessly to the kids. They began to climb.

I turned and swung (which reminded me that my chest was on fire.) at a rat but the nasty little creatures had learned from their mistake. It ducked and jabbed.

Reflexes got me out that time. And some dumb luck another blade wasn't waiting behind me. I parried his blade. I knew I couldn't kill a rat with a nail file. But I could daze him. I faked another wild swing and brought the flat down and bashed his head.

The nutcracker was losing his own battle. He was being swarmed by rats.

I tried to help him but like I said he was losing his own battle, while I was losing mine. I got slammed in the head with the butt of a sword where I had no idea came from. Dazed and disorientated then was slammed again with the flat.

I fell and rolled not because I wanted to but because I did. My head hurt and my cheek felt wet.

I was so dazed I almost didn't hear the cry. "Get up!" it seemed like three people had said it at three separate times.

I clumsily got up but was hit again. I went down hard. I was no good at this. I breathed heavily. My head pounded so hard against my head I couldn't concentrate but I did realize I didn't have my weapon.

I rolled onto my back. I was seeing triple but they seemed to be slowly coming together. I heard laughing. I hated it when someone laughed at me. Anger cleared my vision I grabbed my weapon that was a few feet away. The rat that had hit me was laughing and was about to stab my guts out. He thrust down. But I knocked his sword away and painfully began to sit up.

Realizing I had made him angry was not my main concern at the time. He tried it again but I was on my knees now. I caught his blade. Anger fueling my actions I pushed back on it. The vermin's beady little eyes now full not only with anger and hate but of fear too.

I pushed him back and made a wide swing but the little vermin must have talked. It ducked and swiped at my feet.

Angry and stricken with the dumbest luck in the world I manage to step on his blade. He yanked his sword out from under me and made me lose my balance.

I didn't fall right away but when I did the rat swung a wide arc like I had and hit another rat. Unfortunately I hit my head on a rock. My vision when black for a second. A bit of amnesia occurred. I couldn't remember where I was but I felt like I was back on the photon. Then my vision cleared. I rolled out of the way as a blade coming down. I jumped up.

Head pounding face and hair sticky with blood I kicked the rat in its fury little crotch then head then gut finally finding the ladder and started to climb. I saw the nutcracker again relieved to see he only had a few scratches.

"Come on!" I heard who I think was Éclair.

"Hurry!" came I think Froyo's voice.

I looked down the nutcracker was beginning to climb to kicking the rats away from his feet. I quickly caught up to Froyo and Éclair.

"Are you okay Clara?" asked Éclair.

I touched my head hoping to still be able to rub it but the salt from my hands in the wounds just made me wince violently. "I'll be fine," A drop of blood trailed down my forehead around my nose down my cheek and lips and off my chin. "Totally fine," I repeated miserably. "Keep going."

Froyo then Éclair then I all came up the ladder and what I saw was bad.


	5. Mint Candy

Mint Candy

I stood with the children with my back to the angry looking towns people you see in old monster movies. These people looked ready to fight off some creature from a mad scientist's lab.

"Is everyone alright?" came the nutcrackers voice as he too finally came up the rope ladder.

I looked around behind me. "I'm not really sure," I tried.

"Recruits of the Rat Kinga?" said a well decorated man his closely resembled the nutcracker's attire and his accent was a little British.

"Kidnappers as well it seems," Said a darker skinned man with white and blue clothing and a white turban with a rainbow feather.

"No!" cried Éclair. "They saved us."

"It's true," Added Froyo.

Nutcracker was now beside me and we all now were facing the angry mob.

A few gasped when they saw me. I probably looked awful with blood dripping from various places.

The British soldier eyed me. "Ell this one's no more than a child herself," He said to the Indian and pointing to me.

I cleared my throat. I was starting to recognize this place. A tree top community. "Uh we're not with the Rat king."

"Well if you have nothing to hide you wouldn't mind answering a few questions," Said the turban wearing guy.

I had something to hide but it was nothing they would ask about… hopefully.

Before the third degree. The kids were taken in by a chunky woman called Masher. At least I think that's what the British man said.

I was taken to the infirmary to get my head fixed.

The nurse was nice enough but she reminded me a lot of Masher. She tried to start conversation.

"So how are you doing?" she asked. Not the best thing to ask when the patient is bleeding in front of you. He/she can't be doing all that well.

"My head is bleeding," I said and winced.

"Yes yes it is dear I'm going to fix that," I seriously did not like the way she said that.

She pressed a cool cloth to my head and said to keep pressure on it. "Now were does it hurt?" she asked.

Impatiently I said. "My head is bleeding." Obviously the part that's bleeding should be the part that's hurting. These candy people weren't all too smart. At least the nurses weren't but she seemed to remind me of my uncle. He would always ask stupid obvious questions.

"Yes it is dear I'm going to fix that," Seriously what was up with this nurse? This nurse made the nurse at school seem like she actually finished medical school.

After several more stupid questions my head had a candy ointment on it and several bandages wrapped around it. I ended up doing the ointment and redoing the bandages so I didn't look like a mummy.

With my hair the way it was if I did it right you couldn't see the bandages at all… I didn't do it right. But I did in better than the shrink nurse. And you could only see a little of the bandages.

I also when to see the kids before I was interrogated.

I put my hand on the door knob but unintentionally looked up. The moon was huge and full and I came to wonder if I would ever see my family again. I became a little sad but I turned the knob I came into their dimly lit room.

Masher was there. She grunted at me.

"It's okay," Assured Éclair.

Masher grunted again. She stood clumsily. She reminded me of another uncle. As she passed me she gave another grunt and disappeared out the door.

I sat down on the rug in the middle of the room finally feeling the exhaustion that had neglected to come all day.

But I couldn't rest. The kids tackled me with bear hugs. "Are you okay?" they kept asking me.

"You were bleeding pretty badly," Said Éclair on the verge of tears.

"I'm fine," I tried to reassure her. I even let her check herself.

"You're really bad at sword fighting." Froyo said.

"That's not very nice," She growled.

I laughed. "No, he's right I am bad."

The nurse had also told me I had some more cracked ribs and a really bad concussion. Just great. But I also dislocated my back. Or maybe she had I'm not sure.

Masher came back in and I knew that was my cue to leave. "Hey I'll see you in the morning," I told them and hugged them good night.

I exited the room and went to the map room where the nutcracker was already being interrogated when I came in.

It was a little awkward. I leaned against a table. "Soooo…" I sighed.

"So we have heard enough," Said the British man.

"Clara this is Major Mint," The nutcracker said gesturing to the man who'd spoken. I realized this was the first time he had used my name. "And this is Captain Candy." Gesturing to the Indian turban wearing man.

Familiar indeed.

"Nice to meet you," I said wanting to extend my hand but something in the Major's eyes held me back. This reminded me of my grandmother's stare. It will stop you from doing anything. If she was being robbed all she would have to do is stare in the criminal's eye and he would bow down and apologize saying he would go home and rethink his life he would even go to church. Don't ever make her do that stare on you.

"We are not going to chase some wild fantasy. Sugar Plum Princess indeed," Said the Major.

Fantasy, clever word. I was still not rolling out dream but fantasy did make sense to.

"Well do you have much choice?" I asked not really knowing what hole I was digging myself into now.

"What do you mean by that?" snapped the Major.

"You don't have the numbers to take on the Rat's armies. And even if you would no one is really prepared for a fight there farmers aren't they?" I said obviously making the Major angry with my logic. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"But what I want to know is Major is what of the prince?" I caught the nutcracker's expression out of the corner of my eye. He was hiding his anger at me and I felt shields going up.

"The Prince!" spat the Major. "The prince!" he said it like he was saying 'the rat king' only with more venom. "That boy was a piece of work that one. He was no good at anything. Nothing! He's the reason why we're in this mess," Then the old Major sighed. "I had high hopes for that boy."

I tried not to look at the nutcracker.

"You make the prince sound awful," Said the Nutcracker.

The Captain stepped forward. "Major you must remember Prince Eric was my friend."

The Major grumbled "Candy you must remember what that boy did. He disappeared just when his kingdom needed him most."

There was a lot I could have said at this point. Such as: he didn't disappear he was turned into a nutcracker and he's right here so shut up and have some respect. But instead I just repeated myself. "What do you have to lose?"

Everyone looked back at me. Uncomfortable but now I held the remote. "Finding the Sugar Plum Princess is your last hope of stopping the Rat King."

Mint seemed to finally notice that he was trapped in a corner and had nowhere to go but forward. "But where would we even look!" he protested desperately.

"Across The Sea of Storms," Said the Nutcracker.

The two officers blinked in confusion. "But that's impossible to cross."

"Nothing is impossible just improbable," I said repeating what the owl and my mom had said. It seemed like a million years ago that I had been in the play room. I began to wonder if I would ever see my family again and if I did would they believe this story. And it wouldn't be the last time I'd wonder that.

The Major sighed. "Fine but I will lead this expedition."

I shrugged. I didn't really care who led the 'expedition' I just wanted to fine the Sugar Plum Princess and go home.

"Great so when do we leave?" asked Captain Candy.

"Upon the marrow!" shouted the Major. And that ended that.

x x x

x The End… For Now… x

x x x


End file.
